Friend of the blog (and a close friend of mine going back to our days at Western) Kris Bell whipped up the new banner above- Pretty spiffy, no?
What do you think, sirs?
February 28, 2011
I'm Still Standing
As we hurtle towards the almost certain start of a lockout later this week, it shouldn't be a shock that things have slowed down a ton in the Seahawks blogosphere. There simply isn't that much happening for folks like me to report on, but on top of that two major Seahawks bloggers (John Morgan of Field Gulls and Chris Sullivan of Seahawks Addicts) have retired from blogging. Things are in flux.
I'm not going anywhere though. If anything, I'm planning on getting more involved, both here and over on Field Gulls. When the league goes dark, however, you may see more off topic stuff here on The Beard though. I'll try to stay away from political screeds, but if you hate the Red Sox things might get rough for you in this space in the coming months.
Without going into it, I also have some turmoil going on in my personal life that has been a distraction. While this blog is often an escape from that stuff, it also has been (and will be) and outlet for that personal angst too... So that might lose me some readers as well.
But the core mission of this blog remains to spread The Good Word about the Seattle Seahawks. The other day I was out at a mall in Toledo, and as usual I was in my Seahawks gear- For about the 100th time since early January, someone remarked on my Hawk affiliation, and it wasn't "Seahawks suck" or bitching about a 7-9 team making the playoffs- Like always, I got a gushing response about the Saints game/the Beastquake. The Hawks have plenty of weaknesses, and myriad holes to fill, but I can't shake the feeling that we're headed in the right direction... at least as soon as a new CBA is reached.
So keep an eye on this spot- I'm not going anywhere.
I'm not going anywhere though. If anything, I'm planning on getting more involved, both here and over on Field Gulls. When the league goes dark, however, you may see more off topic stuff here on The Beard though. I'll try to stay away from political screeds, but if you hate the Red Sox things might get rough for you in this space in the coming months.
Without going into it, I also have some turmoil going on in my personal life that has been a distraction. While this blog is often an escape from that stuff, it also has been (and will be) and outlet for that personal angst too... So that might lose me some readers as well.
But the core mission of this blog remains to spread The Good Word about the Seattle Seahawks. The other day I was out at a mall in Toledo, and as usual I was in my Seahawks gear- For about the 100th time since early January, someone remarked on my Hawk affiliation, and it wasn't "Seahawks suck" or bitching about a 7-9 team making the playoffs- Like always, I got a gushing response about the Saints game/the Beastquake. The Hawks have plenty of weaknesses, and myriad holes to fill, but I can't shake the feeling that we're headed in the right direction... at least as soon as a new CBA is reached.
So keep an eye on this spot- I'm not going anywhere.
February 20, 2011
"Don't talk politics and don't throw stones..."
Every time I talk about or even mention politics on this blog, the Harumphs can be heard across the land- Stick to talking about the Seahawks! Stay away from politics! If I wanted to write a political blog, I would. The simple truth is that I have some original and insightful things to say about the Seattle Seahawks. Anything I'd say in-depth about politics? Hundreds of other writers are already saying what I think, and saying it better- So don't worry about me veering off and turning DKSB into DailyKOS or anything...
I do want to say this, though- One thing that is going to be made crystal clear by the upcoming battle between NFL owners and players? The notion that football and politics can be completely decoupled is utter, stinking BULLSHIT.
You think the players are greedy overpaid crybabies who should take whatever the owners offer them? I'd bet pretty big money that you're politically conservative. Maybe you think the owners are plutocratic fat cats leeching off the players and the fans? I'd be just as sure you're probably politically liberal. My point is simply that none of us check our beliefs at the door before we enter Qwest, or disconnect that part of our minds before we watch sports.
I'm on the side of the players' union in this struggle for a lot of reasons, but I'd be lying if I told you it has nothing to do with me being politically leftist. At least I'm honest about this, and not putting up some horseshit front that my politics don't effect how I look at the game...
Hell, we're not THAT far removed from politics DIRECTLY deciding whether our team would even stay in Seattle. I remember beating the drum pretty loudly on my old KUGS-FM radio show in favor of a new Seahawks Stadium back in 1997 (in opposition to a LOT of my lefty friends in the 'Ham, I must say). The funny part? Back then I got complaints about having too much Seahawks content on my political talk show.
These bright-line distinctions simply do not exist, and even if you WANT football to be a safe-haven from the political world, it isn't. Why? Because players and coaches and owners are citizens too, and their actions have significant effects politically, ranging from players profusely thanking God (or not thanking him) in post-game interviews to owners asking for taxpayer money to fund new stadiums. To act otherwise is to willfully ignore the reality six inches from your face.
This is a Seahawks blog, but if I feel like talking about politics, or the Red Sox, or the new Radiohead record, I will. I don't make any sort of significant revenue from this blog, nor do I expect to. So if you like my stuff, I'm glad, and I hope you keep reading. If you don't? There's lots of other blogs out there that stay within these boundaries you find so essential.
In closing, Obama '12, and Go Red Sox! :)
February 14, 2011
Our XLVI Hopes Could Hing on Someone like... Bruce Mathison?
I'm not one to believe in the Doomsday scenarios being thrown around about a lockout wiping out the 2011 season- However, I'm not about to discount the possibility the owners could pull what they did in 1987 to break the union: Scab games. Yeah, the owners called them replacement games, but they were straight-up crap. Even though the games were played in front of half-empty or less stadiums and drew abysmal TV ratings, three missed game checks were enough to convince a majority of players to come back to work on the owners' terms.
I'd guess that fans would be even less receptive to scab games in 2011 than they were in 1987. The game and its players are vastly more popular than they were in 1987, and it's hard to imagine fans paying full price for game tickets or the NFL Sunday Ticket package when CFL and arena rejects are filling NFL rosters. Throw in the MASSIVE popularity of fantasy football, and you'd have millions of fantasy nerds shitting kittens at the notion of casting their lot with squads of unknowns.
The unpleasant reality is that if scab games happened again, they'd count in the standings just like they did in 1987... and the results of those games could determine whether our Seahawks make the playoffs. That's what we saw in 1987, when a win by the Scabhawks over the fake Dolphins in the 1st scab game ended up placing Seattle in the playoffs while Miami ended up watching the postseason on TV. Here's a very brief look at that crucial 24-20 win:
To me, the idea of Seattle's Super Bowl hopes coming down to our guys off the street beating another team's collection of rejects IS FUCKING TERRIFYING. I don't think that scab games are likely to happen again, but if no agreement is reached by the summer, they could be the owners' last resort to break the will of the player's union.
This is all depressing as shit, isn't it? Hopefully I'll get all this doom and gloom out of my system soon- It really isn't my style.
I'd guess that fans would be even less receptive to scab games in 2011 than they were in 1987. The game and its players are vastly more popular than they were in 1987, and it's hard to imagine fans paying full price for game tickets or the NFL Sunday Ticket package when CFL and arena rejects are filling NFL rosters. Throw in the MASSIVE popularity of fantasy football, and you'd have millions of fantasy nerds shitting kittens at the notion of casting their lot with squads of unknowns.
The unpleasant reality is that if scab games happened again, they'd count in the standings just like they did in 1987... and the results of those games could determine whether our Seahawks make the playoffs. That's what we saw in 1987, when a win by the Scabhawks over the fake Dolphins in the 1st scab game ended up placing Seattle in the playoffs while Miami ended up watching the postseason on TV. Here's a very brief look at that crucial 24-20 win:
To me, the idea of Seattle's Super Bowl hopes coming down to our guys off the street beating another team's collection of rejects IS FUCKING TERRIFYING. I don't think that scab games are likely to happen again, but if no agreement is reached by the summer, they could be the owners' last resort to break the will of the player's union.
This is all depressing as shit, isn't it? Hopefully I'll get all this doom and gloom out of my system soon- It really isn't my style.
February 11, 2011
Welcome to a long, strange offseason
Even though this blog takes its name from a weird artifact of the 1987 NFL work stoppage, I can't find anything remotely positive about the impending 2011 NFL lockout. I don't doubt for a second that there will be a 2011 NFL season, but I think the journey to kickoff weekend is going to be harrowing for NFL fans. The season will start on schedule (or very close to it), but probably only after all the parties involved have alienated and pissed off millions of loyal fans/paying customers.
From my perspective, it's all on the owners. They're the ones who will be to blame for a work stoppage, not the players who risk serious injury and perhaps even disability or death every time they step on the field. This will not be a players' strike, but a lockout by management. Unfortunately, even with this simple factual info, sports talk radio and millions of fans will have a knee-jerk reaction blaming the players for not meekly accepting the first CBA proposed by the owners.
That's about all I really want to write about the CBA negotiations- Oh, I'm sure I'll write more, but it'll probably just be some variation of the two paragraphs above. The biggest problem? If there is a lockout, there's going to be JACK SHIT to talk about in terms of Seahawks news until the NFL Draft... And since I'm no Rob Staton, I'm not going to be a great source for insight about who the Seahawks will/should draft.
So will this blog go dark? Will I hang it up like John Morgan of Field Gulls recently did? (Side note: Morgan and I didn't always see eye-to-eye, but dude knew his stuff and helped expose my writing to a much bigger audience- I tip my Seahawks baseball cap to him, and urge you to go pick up a copy of his book.)
Nope. I'll still be giving you as much Seahawks-related content as I can wring out of my brain during this desolate spring- expect a lot of lists, a lot of history, etc. I'm also open to suggestions and tips, which you can leave as comments or send to my gmail account.
Go Seahawks, and may the Lockout be short or non-existent.
From my perspective, it's all on the owners. They're the ones who will be to blame for a work stoppage, not the players who risk serious injury and perhaps even disability or death every time they step on the field. This will not be a players' strike, but a lockout by management. Unfortunately, even with this simple factual info, sports talk radio and millions of fans will have a knee-jerk reaction blaming the players for not meekly accepting the first CBA proposed by the owners.
That's about all I really want to write about the CBA negotiations- Oh, I'm sure I'll write more, but it'll probably just be some variation of the two paragraphs above. The biggest problem? If there is a lockout, there's going to be JACK SHIT to talk about in terms of Seahawks news until the NFL Draft... And since I'm no Rob Staton, I'm not going to be a great source for insight about who the Seahawks will/should draft.
So will this blog go dark? Will I hang it up like John Morgan of Field Gulls recently did? (Side note: Morgan and I didn't always see eye-to-eye, but dude knew his stuff and helped expose my writing to a much bigger audience- I tip my Seahawks baseball cap to him, and urge you to go pick up a copy of his book.)
Nope. I'll still be giving you as much Seahawks-related content as I can wring out of my brain during this desolate spring- expect a lot of lists, a lot of history, etc. I'm also open to suggestions and tips, which you can leave as comments or send to my gmail account.
Go Seahawks, and may the Lockout be short or non-existent.
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